Shell or projectile



J. MORRIS.

SHELL OR PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18,1918.

1,345, 689. Patented July 6, 1920.

" JosnPn Melanie, or ELTON,

NEAR CHESTER, ENGLAND.

SHELL on. rnoanc'rrnn;

" Application filed April 18,

T0 all/whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr MORRIS, sub- I jectofthe King of Great Britain, residing at Elton, near Chester, in the county of Chester and Kingdom of England, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Shells or Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention hasreference to shells or projectilesof the'kind whereinone or more rifling bands of compressed paper or other like relatively soft material, are held in place between the body of the shell and a clamping ring or head, the function of such rifiing bands being to take into the spiral grooves in the rifled bore'of the gun, and at the same time serve as a gas check.

The present invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in this kind of shell or projectile, by which the bands are held more securely in position and 7 any turning of the bands independently ofe the shell body is prevented.

The invention is characterized by the fact that the abutting faces of the band and shell body are provided with notches so that the projections on one part enter the notches in the other part, or in that the shank of the clamping ring or head is provided with a neck portion notched longitudinally and the inside ofthe band'or bands with fins or splines which are adapted to enter the notches so as to become interlocked with the clamping head or ring.

The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which V Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shell partly in section with my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 a face view of the soft rifling band showing the notches together with clamping head with its shank and notched'neck, and Fig. 3 a sectional elevation showing another form of the invention.

In these figures, A is the annular band of compressed paper, cardboard, 'papier mach or the like which is affixed to the end of the projectile B opposite to that of the conoi-' dal point. This aflixingis effected according to the present invention by means of a clamping ring or head C the shank C of which enters the bore of the projectile. The clamping head has a neck C to receive the 'band A, the said neck being notched longi- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, i920.

1918. SerialNo. 229,359. Y

tudinallyat D at intervals all around 'its circumference, and the inside of the annular band A has formed integrally with it, fins or splines A which are adapted to enter the notches D. The annular band Ais slipped longitudinally onto the neck C so that the splines A take into the notches D in the neck C of the shank C, and'becomes interlocked therewith. The shank C of the pin which may be screw threaded, is now'scr'ewed into corresponding threads in the bore of the projectileB and the annular band A becomes tightly clamped and compressed between the projectile B and the head C, the shank C being locked in position by the set pins E. The annular band cannot rotate independently of the shank so that any rotary motion imparted to'the annular band A will be imparted to the projectile also, because of the interlocking ofthe band A withthe head C and the projectile B. The neck C may be made slightly shorter than the width of the annular band so as to insure a tight compression of the latter when the head is screwed up; The annular band is shown as in Fig. 1 being made in one piece but it can if desired be built up of a plurality of layers of paper cardboard or the like as shown in 'Fig." 3.

If the annular band be made slightly larger than the outside diameter of the pro jectile and the bore of the gun, it will on the explosion of the charge, become forced into the shallow spiral'grooves or rifiing with which the gun is provided, and which thus spin the projectiles and'insure a complete centering thereof. Moreover it gives great accuracy in firing and avoids the disadvanter depressions in the other and thus fur-* ther. insure their interlocking together and prevent the band turning or twisting inde 'pendently of the projectile- I declare that whatl claim is 1. In an explosive projectile, the combij nationwith the projectile body having an interior bore and an opening to the said bore at the rear of the projectile, ofa

clamping head having a shank which enters the bore of the body and closes the opening,

neck integral with and located between the shank and the head, longitudinal notches in the neck all around its circumference at intervals, and at least one annular riiiing band of relatively soft material located dire v between the head and the rear of the pro tile body and filling the space be tween the same, the said band having fins formed integrally therewith and adapted to enter the notches in the neck.

In an explosive projectile, the combi nation wih the projectile body having an interior bore and an opening to the said bore at the rear of the projectile, ota clamping band having a shank which enters the bore of the body so as to close the opening, a neck integral with and locatedbetween the shank and the head, serrations on the rear face of the projectile body, and an nnla rifling bands of relatively soft material located between the head and the projectile body, the face of the band next the rear face of the projectile having serrations which engage the SGI'I'YilBlODS at the rear face oi the projectile body.

3. In an explosive projectile, the combination with the projectile body having an interior bore and an opening to the said bore at the rear of the projectile, of a clamping head having a shank which enters the bore of the body so as to close the opening, a neck integral with and located be- I tween the shank and the head, longitudinal notches in the neck, annular rifiing bands masses of relatively soft material located between the clamping head and the projectile body and filling the space between the same, such bands having projections which enter the notches in the neck, and a set pin for locking the shank in the projectile body with thebands in a compressed condition.

4. In an explosive projectile, the combination with the projectile body having an interior bore and an opening to the said bore at the rear of the-projectile, of a clamping head having a shank which enters the bore of the body so as to closethe opening, a neck integral with and located between the shank and the head and filling the space between the same, longitudinal. notches in the neck, rifiing bands of soft material located between the clamping head and the projectile body, such bands having projections which enter the notches in the i eck, and means forholding the head with tne bands in tight compression between it and the rear end of the projectile, the said neck portion being made rather shorter than the width of the rifling bands so as to allow for a tight compression being obtained.

In witness whereof, I have V hereunto signed ,my name this 18th dayol March, 1918, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH MORRIS.

Witnesses: V s

G. C. DYMOND, JOHN MCLACHLAN. 

